Grissom academy's newest student
by The last Phantomdreamer
Summary: After the Reaper war the Alliance decided to reopen Grissom Academy. Ashley Shepard (The daughter of Carly Alenko and Kaidan Alenko) Enrolled for the school under that name. This is about her schooling, and the adventures of living alone in space with Biotic powers and youthful ambition.
1. Chapter 1 Enrollment

Chapter 1 - Enrollment

Grissom academy had been reopened after the reaper war, to keep encouraging Biotics to join the Alliance military. Jack retook her position as a teacher, with new students and new staff. To Jack the academy still looked the same, and she was glad that Shepard had taken the time to come and save them.

"Ash are you sure you want to go to Grissom Academy?" Carly asked her sixteen year old daughter

Ashley looked at her mother, and smiled she had fierce green eyes and long black hair.

"Yeah, I do I want to train my biotics, just like you and father did." Ashley explained

Carly smiled and conceded, she knew her daughter was a dedicated as she was, they knew what they wanted and exactly how to get it.

"Okay when do you leave?" Carly asked

Kaidan looked at both his wife and daughter, he wasn't involved in the conversation but he wanted to be.

"Ash, Carly, you didn't ask my opinion." He lamented

The two of them looked at him quickly and smiled.

"Sorry dad, what do you think?" Ashley asked smiling

Kaidan hung his head down a little, and sighed a little.

"I agree with your mother." He muttered.

Jack was waiting at the shuttle bay; she had heard a new student was transferring in today. Kahlee had sent her to go and meet the student, to mostly introduce herself, all Jack was told is that the student was from a prestigious Military family. When the door opened and the student walked out, she recognized which prestigious family Kahlee meant.

"Hell Ash, they never said it was you." Jack said as she spoke to the girl who stood there.

"Hello auntie Jack, it's been a few years." Ashley replied.

Ashley had enrolled under the name Ashley Shepard, she felt more like a Shepard and her parents weren't surprised as she had always said she wanted to change it. Jack lead her to Kahlee Sanders office to get her paperwork ready and her uniform all sorted out.

"Yeah sorry, kiddo this bit sucks." Jack said as she watched over Ashley's shoulder as she filled in the paperwork. "When did you get your implant?"

Ashley's hair had slid over her left shoulder, revealing a scar on her neck, the simple mark of a human Biotic.

"Two years ago, Dad mostly taught me how to use it practically." Ashley explained she signed the page she was on and then looked at Jack "That was dull."

Jack laughed and patted her on the shoulder.

"Just the way I look at it." Jack commented before she disappeared into the adjacent room, she was looking for the uniform Kahlee kept them in the storage cupboard that was half the size of the office.

Ashley had sat down on a chair and tapped her feet on the floor waiting patiently, she felt a little more nervous now as she didn't know what the other students were like. Her thoughts were interrupted when a fellow student walked in, she was the same age as Ashley and was a typical airhead girl with long blonde hair and her uniform decorated a little to show off.

"Oh I didn't know they let airheads in." Ashley muttered to herself.

The girl put a datapad on the desk before she looked at Ashley.

"Excuse me; you are talking to Mina Simone the Grissom academy's best biotic student." She replied

Mina stared down at Ashley trying to terrify her, as she usually did to other new students, she didn't count on Ashley not backing down. Mina flipped her hair, and pouted.

"That's the part when you should be scared." Mina said with a predatory fake smile.

Ashley laughed a little and stood up to look in Mina's cold eyes.

"Usually they would be, but I'm not intimidated by smug little rich girls." Ashley said

The two of them looked at each other, neither wanting to give in to the other so they just stared at each other. They were on the verge of a fight when Jack walked in holding three packaged uniforms; she noticed the standoff going on and made a decisive decision, she dumped the uniforms on the desk as she strolled over to them.

"Ah Mina I see you met, Ashley Shepard." Jack said she drew attention to the name by how she pronounced it. Mina looked at Jack and backed down.

"She's the daughter of the Hero of the Citadel. Fine I'll go." Mina said

Jack sighed and went to pick the uniforms, Ashley sighed in relief.

"Hey Kiddo, you can't go around and bother the airheads." Jack said as she handed the uniforms to Ashley.

"She tried to frighten me." Ashley said

Jack sighed, she was Ashley godmother, and she had managed to pass on her influence on Ashley.

"C'mon I'll show you to your quarters." Jack said

The student's quarters were all designed the same, they were painted in white, and the rooms contained single beds and desks with lamps. All the rooms had the inhabitant's personal touches, pictures, posters and other accessories. Ashley looked around her room, it was white and basic. On the bed was a hard case, the things she had asked her parents to send on for her. She crossed over to the desk and put the uniforms down on it, Jack smiled at her.

"Gotta go write my lesson plan kiddo." Jack said before she left

Ashley sighed and went to unpack the hard case; it had a small box of photos and her few posters of Zion Strings, the band she was addicted to, her datapad and music station she also had a selection of clothes she wanted for her downtime and her book tablet was their too. She managed to make her room look habited before she threw herself on the bed and switched on her datapad to see a message from her parents.

_Ash,_

_Have fun there at Grissom academy, I hope it's a lot better than BAaT. Be careful with the Biotics._

_Dad_

_Ashley,_

_I'll tell you something my mother told me about us Shepard women, we are tough and get whatever we want so go get it. I bet your dad told you to go easy with the Biotics, well go get 'em._

_Lots of love your mother_

_Spectre Alenko _

Ashley laughed at the messages; she was interrupted by a boy at her bedroom door. He was at least six foot tall, he had soft brown hair and simple blue eyes it was his bright smile that made him stand out.

"You're the new student. I am Will Xavier." He said

Ashley walked over to him and held out her hand, he looked at it and shook it.

"Ashley Shepard, go easy on the new kid." She said.

Will looked at her suspiciously. He like many other kids had grown up being told stories about Shepard.

"You're the daughter of the first human Spectre. Wow I'm an alliance kid, I was raised in space, we were told a lot about your mom." He explained

Ashley laughed, and waved her hand at him he looked at her oddly again. Ashley straightened up and smiled.

"Sorry, mom is that hero, but she's really normal." Ashley said "I meet a few Alliance kids and they are really impressed about who my mom is. Some talk to me about my dad to."

Will smiled awkwardly at her, and rubbed his elbow slightly. He shuffled his feet, Ashley picked up on it and smiled, and she reached out and patted him on the arm.

"Don't worry about it." Ashley said "If it makes you feel better you can call me Ash."


	2. Chapter 2 First lesson

Chapter 2 - First Lesson

Jack was Ashley's Biotic practice teacher, the two of them were stood in front of a practice dummy that stared blankly back at them. Jack patted Ashley's shoulder and smiled.

"Okay Ash, I want you to pull the doll." She said.

The other students all stopped what they were doing and watched her, she was the new girl they had expected her to be bad. Ashley breathed in and focused her mind on the dummy, she held her left hand open it pooled with a blue light, she gently pulled it back causing the dummy to lift off in the air. Its head bounced off the floor and onto the ceiling before it crashed back down on the hard floor. Ashley bit her finger lightly, and sighed.

"Sorry Jack, I pulled it a little too toughly." Ashley explained

Jack laughed and said it was okay, and told her to be careful in practice. Ashley smiled and went to pick up the dummy and practice again. Across the classroom Will, tried to pull the dummy his hand lit up blue but he lost his focus when a rogue doll hit him in the head. Ashley had seen that happen and ran over to him and picked the dummy up from off from him, he was unconscious.

"Jack, I'll get him to the med-bay." Ashley explained.

Ashley picked him up gently and carried him over her shoulders, Will wasn't heavy and Ashley had been to an alliance military school and was strong. Jack sighed as she watched them go; she noticed the students were gawking.

"Hey get back to practice!" She demanded.

Ashley lay Will down on the medbay bed; he just lay there as she put a wet flannel on his forehead. Her pale hands pressed it firmly to him and it made them a little wet. She sat carefully beside him and smiled, she thought how this school was unlike her last one. It was her first day and she was in the medbay.

"Well, this wasn't a normal first day." She lamented.

She made sure Will was going to be okay before she left for, biotic theory class. That class room was a normal one with the desks arranged in front of the board; the teacher had a desk,

"Good morning students." The teacher said; she was an Asari.

Ashley had sat at a desk no-one was sat at hoping Will was going to join her, but she was sure it would be a little time. She made notes for him on her datapad; Ashley enjoyed the practical lessons but not listening to a teacher moaning on. The teacher sighed and asked a question, a girl smiled and answered the question.

"Ashley Shepard, could you tell me what you would do to take down an enemy with a shield?" The teacher asked

"I would use warp, and then throw." Ashley said.

The Asari teacher nodded and continued her lesson, the room collectively sighed when they were given homework. Ashley had wondered what kind of homework she would get at biotic school, an essay on practical biotic appliance. She made sure to note it down for Will, and maybe ask him if he wanted to do it with her.

At lunch time, Will had re-joined Ashley at the table they sat at a few days ago. Will rubbed his forehead and put his tray on the table and smiled.

"Hey Ash, I took a hell of beating huh?" He said with a smile.

He sat down and picked up his sandwich, Ashley smiled and picked up her bottle of cola and drank.

From across the dining hall, a few voices rose over the main low mumble.

"Hey tech geeks, I think we could beat you with our biotics." Chad Eldris said he was the standard muscular sports player, with less charm that a small rock. Ashley couldn't stand it, she always hated bullying. She helped her brother out as he was being teased for reading a lot; she put down her drink and walked over to him.

"Oi back off, Leave them alone." Ashley said and focused her eyes on him.

Chad towered over her at six foot she was only five foot seven, but she was her mother's daughter and she had a fire in her eyes.

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked.

Ashley had readied a small singularity, it pulsed around her hand. Chad could see it and he was worried, he backed off a little and put his hands up.

"Ok I get it, the new kid saved you." He said

"I'll be there every time you try." Ashley replied as he walked away like a defeated cat.

The Tech students smiled at Ashley.

"Thanks, for the help. I'm Janey Wilson and this is Karl Anderson." Janey said

"It's okay, I hate jerks like that. I'm Ashley Shepard." Ashley replied


	3. Chapter 3 The weekend

Chapter 3 The weekend

Everything had settled down at the academy, Ashley hadn't gotten into any fights. They had become friends with Janey and Karl, and they were a little group. Ashley was worried about home, she thought about her brother and her sister, so on the weekend she decided to give them a call.

"Hello Ash, how's it going?" Her brother Thane asked her

Ash smiled "Okay, I may have made an enemy." She replied as she put her hand on the back of her head.

Thane laughed and shook his head.

"That's our Ash, always getting in trouble. Tali wanted to talk to you hold on." Thane said before he disappeared.

Then a girl of nine came in to Ashley's view. She recognised it as being her sister Tali.

"Hi Ashley, When are you coming home?" Tali Alenko asked a point blank.

Ashley frowned and rubbed her head.

"It'll be a little while, Tali. Auntie Jack is here though so she will look after me."

"Ok then, I am going over to my friend's house." Tali said before she disappeared

Over the connection Ashley could hear her mother call after Tali, and Tali replying gently. Ashley smiled, her family were normal even if her parents were heroes. The next person who sat to talk to her was her father.

"Ash, are you being treated okay by the other kids?" Kaidan asked.

"Yes dad, I made friends with a biotic and a couple of techs." Ashley replied

Kaidan smiled and looked over at Carly, he gestured for her to join him.

"Sorry Ash, I had to see Tali off. How's the academy? How is Jack as a teacher?"

When she had finished her conversation, she went over to the photo frames and they all blinked into life with photos of the five of them. Ashley smiled she went back over to her bed and lay on it and stared at the ceiling and thought about home. She was interrupted by Jack, who was at the door.

"Hey, Ash I was going to take a group out to the Citadel." Jack said "You in?"

Ashley stood up and looked at her.

"Yeah I am." She said as she went to pick up her credit chit and followed Jack to the shuttle port.

At the Citadel, they first went to the Presidium Commons. Jack had said she'd be at the Apollo café if they needed her, Ashley and Will headed to the shops.

"Hey, when we come here I usually get a ship model." Will said as they headed to the gift shop. "What are you going to get?"

Ashley thought carefully. "I have no idea."

Jack watched carefully over her students, she watched a man follow Ashley and Will and he looked suspicious as he had a pistol on his waist and had intent to fire it. Without thinking Jack jumped over the railing and followed him, and prepared to leap on his back. When they had fallen an Asari shopkeeper squealed.

"Hey Asshole, stay away from my students." She said as she swiftly punched him in the face. She followed in with another, and a third.

"She is a valuable commodity." He muttered. "A lot of people will pay for her."

Jack punched him in the chest, Ashley and Will walked over to Jack and looked at the man. His face was bloody, Ashley saw it and fainted, Will managed to catch her just as she did."

"Will, get C-Sec now!" Jack commanded

Ashley regained conscious swiftly after Jack had slapped her swiftly.

"Sorry Jack, I've always hated blood." Ashley said

Ashley avoided looking at the man, and waited with Jack until the C-Sec officer came. It was an Asari officer.

"I'm Tessa Harley; I was told this man was a slave trader. I understand your willingness let us take this." Tessa said as she to over from Jack and arrested the man. Jack sighed and put her hand on her head.

After that incident they were on their way, back to the academy.

"So our first weekend trip ended up a disaster." Ashley said on the shuttle ride home.

Jack looked over at her and frowned.

"Yep, you still faint at blood Ash." Jack stated.

Will looked over at her and then at Jack, he thought to himself that the academy was going to change now Ashley was there.


	4. Chapter 4 After the Ordeal

Chapter 4

After the Ordeal

The students were taken back to Grissom Academy; following the event on the Citadel, Jack was annoyed as she had to do all the paperwork afterwards. She sat at her desk and sighed; she was worried about Ashley, and Jack had realized she cared about her. She knew Ash was a tough kid; well that was to be expected as she knew her mother, still she was a kid. Jack decided to go and check on her after the paperwork, Kahlee had told her to do it and she couldn't turn down an order from the boss.

Ashley had headed straight to her room; after they had gotten back and slumped on her bed, her terminal had bleeped with a new message. In frustration she threw a pillow at it just muffling it, someone knocked at her door, she went to see who it was. Will stood there with a few chocolate bars, in his hand; he must have gotten them from the vending machine especially.

"Here I've heard girls like chocolate." He said

Ashley smiled faintly as she took one from him, and nodded her thanks and let him come in. she sat on her bed and tore open the chocolate, and took a bite.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." He said looking at her.

"Thanks, it's just rough. My family have a place on the Citadel, so it's a little terrifying to think about that." Ashley said looking at him

"You have to have faith in C-Sec, they can handle it." Will said. "Your folks can handle it anyway."

She thought about her parents and sighed, they would be able to sort it out. She was mostly worried about her siblings; Thane and Tali were both younger than she was; it was what she had to do as the eldest child.

"I just got a message reminding us about visitor's day." Will said changing the subject. "It happens once a month and family usually come and visit."

Ashley laughed she was a little glad that she could see her family and that they were going to come; she remembered when they had come to a play she did in school as a child, the other parents made a huge deal about her mother.

"Do you think, I'll get teased about my parents?" Ashley asked Will. "They aren't like in the vids, well not at home."

Will smiled, glad Ashley was okay.

"Parents are parents, regardless of the fact they are living legends." Will said.

When they had finished talking; Will had left, he had to check if his mother was going to come for the visitor's day. Jack had poked her head around the door and saw Ashley was checking her private terminal.

"Hey Kiddo; I was coming to see how you were." Jack said

Ashley looked at her and smiled.

"I'm good Jack, Will and I talked it over." Ashley said

Jack nodded and left again, she wanted to be there for her goddaughter. She was still amazed at the fact that Shepard had made Jack her daughter's godmother, when so many people didn't even bother. Carly had said she had a godmother who looked after her when her mum, was on a mission, she wanted someone to be there for Ashley.

At the end of the last week of the month; was the visitors day, it was on a Saturday to avoid a clash with lessons. Ashley was sat waiting in the receiving room; she was sat with Will and their two friends Karl and Janey, all waiting for various family members. The first to arrive was Tali Alenko; Ashley's little sister, she had the same dark hair and green eyes though her hair was cut to a bob and she had a huge collection of freckles over her nose.

"Ash!" she proclaimed as she dashed up to her and hugged her sister.

"Hey Tali, where is everyone else?" Ashley asked

Tali let Ashley go and waved off in the distance, her parents were far away, discussing the shuttle that had brought them, and Thane was stood with his datapad reading.

"Do you like my hair Ash?" Tali asked as she swung her head from side to side. "Hello I am Tali, Ash's sister." Tali directed to Ashley's friends. Ashley had rested her hand on her forehead; Tali had always been enthusiastic where Ashley was serious.

"Tali you aren't bothering your sister too much are you?" Carly Alenko asked

Ashley and Tali both looked at their mother who had grown out her hair since retiring from the Alliance; her hair was halfway to her chest and was a deep copper. She was wearing a casual dress that had reached the floor; Thane and Kaidan were behind her looking at each other as if they were already exhausted.

"She can be a handful." Kaidan said

"Hey Mom, Dad." Ashley said to them before she looked at Thane, he was wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses. It was odd as most people had eye corrective surgery, like Ashley had, but her brother liked his glasses. "Thane, Hello?"

He looked up at her and smiled.

"Sorry Ash, this book is fascinating. It's the history of human biotics." Thane had said

Ashley laughed and shook her head.

"I have biotics; I don't want to read a history book." Ashley sighed.

Thane shook his head at her and sighed.

"It is good. It mentions Dad as he is an L2." Thane replied.

Will looked at them all.

"So, you all talk shop then?" Will asked

Carly laughed and looked at Will; she smiled kindly and then looked at Ashley.

"Not if we can help it, it's just Thane, though I mostly use my biotics to lift the couch to hoover under it." Carly said

Kaidan looked at her and frowned.

"Yeah the last time you did I thought we were under attack, I ran down the stairs to find you hovering the couch." He said

She shrugged her shoulders, and then remembered she had something to give Ashley. She held out a gift bag, and Ashley took it tentatively.

"It's a gift from the Admiral. She was on duty when she called last." Carly said.

Admiral was a nickname they had given to Hannah Shepard, Ashley's maternal grandmother, in company as she had asked them to.

Ashley had led her family around the academy; showing them her room, and leaving the gift there to open later.

"I remember coming here once; I had to save some students, from Cerberus." Carly said as she saw the statue of Jon Grissom, whom the school was name after. Thane looked at the statue and flicked through one of his many history books.

"Jon Grissom was one of the first humans through the mass relay." He pointed out.

Ashley smiled to herself, things never changed.


End file.
